The present invention relates to a method for harvesting agricultural products, in particular fruit, such as capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, peppers, etc., from plants which are cultivated in a greenhouse.
Greenhouse-cultivated plants of this type are generally cultivated in parallel rows, between which a number of passages are provided. At ground level, these passages are generally provided with two pipes which extend in the longitudinal direction of the said rows and through which water for heating the greenhouse runs. These pipes are generally coupled to one another at one end, for example via a U-shaped pipe section. These passages are also used to inspect and process the plants, inter alia for picking the fruit. If the said heating pipes are laid above the base of these passages, these heating pipes are often also used as rails for one or more trolleys which can travel along them and by means of which, for example, accessories, such as a container for picked fruit, and staff involved in processing the plants, for example pickers in the case of picking, can be moved through the passages. In the case of capsicums, for example, the picking takes place by hand, with the picker standing on one trolley, which is coupled to a trailing trolley provided with a container for the picked capsicums. The picker then has to pick in each case one or more fruit and then turn in order to place the fruit into the container. A large number of fruit, in this case capsicums, are collected in the container, lying on top of one another.
In this arrangement, a significant drawback is that the way in which the fruit are stored in the container leads to damage to the fruit. This is because the fruit will be laid on top of one another, which can cause bruises, among other things. A further problem is that the fruit often drop into the container, which may also lead to damage, in particular bruising, to the fruit. Furthermore, the fruit may scratch one another as a result of the stem of one fruit acting on another fruit. In the case of cucumbers, for example, there is the further problem that they weep at the location of damage and release moisture, and that this moisture forms a good food base for fungi and bacteria. Obviously, these problems could be resolved by laying all the fruit next to one another and constructing the container in levels, which are then filled one by one with fruit lying next to one another. However, this is time-consuming and will have an adverse effect on the number of fruit picked per unit time, i.e. the fruit-picking speed.
Dutch Patent 1,006,427 discloses a harvesting system for harvesting plants, in particular cut flowers. The plants are cultivated in greenhouses in row-like planting beds with walkways between them. In each case pairs of so-called endless cords are arranged parallel to and above the rows of plants. Together, each pair of cords forms a conveyor track. In each pair of cords, in each case one cord lies above the walkway at a higher level than the plant and the other cord lies at a distance above the plant, at the same height as the first cord. This is a harvesting system for cut flowers, i.e. a system with which the entire plant is harvested, not simply products from the plant. Furthermore, the cut flowers are cut off at ground level, while the cords lie at a high level, at a distance above the plant. Therefore, the picker has to constantly stand upright from a bent position in order to place the picked parts of the plant onto the cords, which takes time and is ergonomically unfavourable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for harvesting agricultural products, in particular fruit, with which it is possible in particular to work at a high rate, i.e. at a high picking speed, and to prevent damage to the products.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing a method for harvesting agricultural products, in particular fruit, such as capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, peppers, etc., from plants which are cultivated in greenhouses,
in which the product-bearing plants are arranged in parallel rows,
in which processing passages which extend between the said rows, in the longitudinal direction thereof, are provided in such a manner that each row adjoins a said processing passage,
in which harvest conveyor tracks which extend between the said rows, in the longitudinal direction thereof, are or have been arranged, in such a manner that each row adjoins a said harvest conveyor track, and
in which the products to be harvested, in particular the fruit to be picked, of a specific row are harvested from the processing passage which adjoins this specific row, are laid onto the harvest conveyor track adjoining this specific row, and by the said harvest conveyor track are removed to a delivery point at one of the ends of this specific row.
As a result of the harvested products being laid onto a conveyor belt, the so-called harvesting conveyor belt, which lies at a lower level than the highest level of the plants, between the rows, and possibly beneath the plants, immediately after picking, and using this conveyor belt to discharge the products to a delivery point, it is possible to harvest at a relatively high rate while preventing products from being laid or stacked on top of one another, which could cause them to damage one another. In this context it is conceivable, for example, for the products to be laid automatically or manually into single-layer boxes or other types of containers at the delivery point, but it is also possible for the delivery point to be a further main conveyor track, by which the products from all the harvest conveyor belts are collected and are discharged to a central point for further processing, for example for placing them in boxes or other types of containers.
A further significant problem of the known harvesting method is that it is ergonomically unfavourable. The human harvester, for example picker, frequently has to execute a turning movement, often from a bent-over position, which involves disadvantageous strain on the back, among other things. This constantly repeated turning movement in order to allow the product, for example the capsicums, to be deposited also takes up time, which has an adverse effect on the amount of products which can be picked per unit time, i.e. limits the picking speed. Experienced human harvesters or pickers will attempt to avoid turning their body and back and will mainly use their arms to execute a pivoting movement and lay the products in the container without looking. However, this too is ergonomically unfavourable for the arms and shoulders and also for the neck. Furthermore, in this case too the arm-pivoting movement will represent a delaying factor during harvesting or picking.
According to the invention, this significant further problem is prevented if the harvest conveyor track is arranged in such a manner that a human picker who is standing in the processing passage and looking towards the row of plants has the harvest conveyor track in front of him. More particularly, this further problem is advantageously overcome, according to the invention, if the processing passages and harvest conveyor tracks are in each case separated from one another by a said row which adjoins the two, each processing passage and each harvest conveyor track preferably being delimited on either side by a said row and a manipulating member, such as an arm or hand of a human harvester or picker, which is holding the harvested product or the picked fruit, being pushed out of the processing passage, through the row from which the product has been harvested or the fruit has been plucked, in order to lay the harvested product or the picked fruit onto the harvest conveyor track which adjoins the said row. It is therefore no longer necessary for the body, in particular the upper body, of the human harvester, for example picker, to execute a turning movement or for the arm of the harvester to execute a pivoting movement in order to deposit the fruit. According to the method according to the invention, the product or the fruit is harvested or picked in front of the body of the human harvester or picker, and then the arm is extended and moved slightly upwards or downwards in order to place the fruit onto the harvest conveyor track. Moreover, this movement is also quicker than the turning movement of the body or the pivoting movement of the arm in accordance with the traditional method, which therefore allows a higher harvesting or picking speed to be achieved. Although the method according to the invention in no way rules out the possibility of using a mechanically controlled manipulating member for harvesting or picking and depositing the products or fruit, in the current state of the art, for cost reasons, it is preferable if the harvesting or picking and the laying of the products or fruit onto the harvest conveyor track is carried out manually by a human harvester or picker, who is moving through the processing passage or is being moved through the processing passage. In this case, the human harvester or picker may stand on a trolley which is moved, optionally in steps, through a processing passage, it advantageously being possible for the heating pipes to be used as rails for the trolley. In this case, according to the invention it is particularly advantageous if the human harvester or picker is standing on a platform which can be vertically adjusted for harvesting or picking products or fruit at different heights, the respective harvest conveyor track being correspondingly vertically adjusted, specifically, for preference, being vertically adjusted in such a manner that the height of the harvest conveyor track is approximately 100 to 150 cm higher than the height of the platform. It is thus possible for the human harvester or picker to stand upright and to harvest the products or pick the fruit at standing level and also deposit the products or fruit without having to bend over. It should be noted that it is obviously also eminently possible for a chair or another type of seat to be provided on the platform and for the harvester or picker to sit on this chair or seat, in which case the height difference between the platform and the harvest conveyor track may also be less than 100 cm.
In order to reduce or even prevent altogether the need for the harvesting person to bend or at least move the upper body downwards for the purpose of depositing harvested products, according to the invention it is preferable if the height of the conveyor track is set in such a manner that it is at most 50 cm lower than in each case the highest product, such as fruit, which is to be harvested.
According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a device for harvesting agricultural products, in particular fruit, such as capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, peppers, etc., which device is particularly intended for carrying out the method according to the invention.
The device according to the invention will in particular comprise a multiplicity of parallel harvest conveyor tracks which are positioned at a distance from one another and are arranged or at least are intended to be arranged alongside a row of plants which yields the products, such as the fruit. The multiplicity of harvest conveyor tracks will preferably be vertically adjustable. The harvest conveyor tracks may in this case, if appropriate, be vertically adjustable separately, i.e. independently of one another. Preferably, each harvest conveyor track will comprise an endless conveyor belt, of which the active conveying part runs through a channel, preferably over the base of the channel. The conveyor belt may then be made from relatively inexpensive material, such as for example car seat-belt material or lorry tarpaulin, since it is supported by the base of the channel and has the sole function of carrying along the products, such as the fruit. The channel has the advantage that the side walls of the channel ensure that the products, such as the fruit, cannot fall off the conveyor belt. A harvest conveyor track of this type, which substantially comprises a channel with an endless conveyor belt, has the further advantage of being of lightweight and simple design. For example, if a roller conveyor were to be used, not only would the harvest conveyor track be of more complex design, but also it would be heavier.